Ahmedabad: Drone tech helps in busting Rs 6.25 cr sand mining racket

In a major operation, the Ahmedabad district administration has busted a sand mining racket in which sand worth more than Rs 6 crore was allegedly illegally mined.

An official press release said that checks were conducted in Gyaspur on Wednesday by a team of government officials after drone surveillance over the past few days revealed that illegal sand mining was taking place in the area.

The release said that people involved in the illegal operations fled from the scene when the team reached there but left behind vehicles that were being used for digging and ferrying sand.

Investigations revealed that the machine used for sand mining is owned by Bhavan Bharwad, against whom several cases of illegal mining were also registered in the past. Initial estimates suggest that sand worth Rs6.25 crore had been illegally mined from the Gyaspur plot measuring 2.36 hectare, the release said.

District collector Vikrant Pandey told DNA that this is the first case of illegal mining busted with the aid of drone surveillance system in Ahmedabad. The surveillance system was implemented last month with the aim to crack down on illegal mining.

Pandey also said that Bharwad has been engaged in illegal sand mining for long. "Bharwad is a notorious element, and there are several cases of illegal sand mining against him. We are in the process of registering a police complaint against him," he said.